


Brother, Let Me Be Your Shelter

by Mad_Birdy



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, assorted fluff, but a friend told me to post it so, here it is, it actually changes a lot about their relationship and how things go, it's a wip that i've stopped working on for the time being, just giving the brothers an older sister 'cause i thought they needed one, look at me tag rambling just like on tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-13 00:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7131062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mad_Birdy/pseuds/Mad_Birdy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Mary Winchester had a daughter six years before Dean was born. Her name was Lana. Now, when everything begins, she's married with kids and employed as a forest ranger in Arkansas. But when her brothers call, she answers. When her brothers need her most, she's there to help, be it with chick flick moments or with hunting. Lots of a big sister's love for her little brothers. (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS BUT IF IT GETS ENOUGH OF A FOLLOWING I MIGHT BRING IT BACK. ALSO YES IT'S THE ONE ON FF.NET AND TUMBLR @SUPERNATURALLYWRITINGFICTION ALL OF THOSE ARE ME)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing kinda spawned out of the song "Brother, Let Me Be Your Shelter" by NEEDTOBREATHE (if you wanna hear it, find the version that has Gavin DeGraw too, it's the best). This was my first SPN fic and there are a lot of things I'd change about it but I don't like going back and changing things after I've already published them in two different places. So. Enjoy.

Buzzzzz, buzzzzz, buzzzzzz. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, glancing briefly at the caller I.D. before answering. “Hey, little D, what’s up?” I asked, smiling and pausing the show I was watching.

“Lana, I need your help,” my younger brother, Dean Winchester, said.

“What’s the problem?”

“It’s a long story but Dad’s missing and Sam won’t help out, you know the deal.”

“Missing? How long? Where are you?”

“Yeah, he’s been gone almost a week now. I just dropped Sam off at his apartment in Stanford.”

“Alright. Just sit tight and I’ll get the first flight outta Little Rock.” I stood and walked to my room, grabbing a suitcase from the hall closet on the way.

“Great, thanks--” Through the phone I heard a distant shout and then, “Sam!”

“Dean, what’s--?” The line cut off before I got my answer, so I ended the call and hurried to pack. I passed my daughters’ bedroom, where my husband Zach was putting them to bed. “Zach, need you,” I said.

I was throwing clothes into my suitcase when he walked in and asked, “What’s up, darling?”

“Just got off the phone with Dean. Dad’s missing and something’s up with Sam. I’m going to California to see what I can do. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone but I’ll call when I get there and get things figured out.”

“Alright,” he said. “You’ll need these, right?” I turned and looked at him; he was holding out my twin daggers and my handgun.

“Yeah,” I said. “I might need those. Just put them in the suitcase, please. I would take them in the carry-on--”

“But they’re not allowed.”

“Right. Oh and--”

“Unload the gun, because firearms have to be completely unloaded in checked baggage. Yeah, I know.” He smiled and I smiled back sheepishly.

“Sorry,” I said. “I’m just worried about my brothers.”

“I know, love.” He stepped away from the suitcase and placed his hands on my shoulders. “That’s why you’re flying out to California to be with them.” I turned to him and put my hands in the crooks of his elbows.

“I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I said, leaning in to kiss him lightly. Then I finished packing and took a moment to say good night to my daughters. The eldest, Mary, was six, and Jackie was two. “Good night, girls,” I said, giving each a kiss on the forehead.

“Where are you going?” Mary asked.

I smiled. “I’m just going to see Uncle Dean and Uncle Sam.”

“Ooh, can we go too? We haven’t seen them in forever.”

“I know, Mary, but not this time. Maybe I’ll bring them back with me to see you, okay?”

“Yay!” both girls squealed.

“Now go to sleep, and I’ll see you guys soon, alright?”

“Okie dokie, Mommy,” said Jackie.

“Good night, Mommy.” I smiled again, gave them one last kiss, and then let Zach see me to my car. As I slid into the driver’s seat of my Toyota, he said, “Go. Take care of the boys. And be safe.”

I replied, “I will,” as he shut the door. I pulled out of the driveway and headed for the airport.

On the plane I called Dean, hoping he would pick up. I tried five times in the first half hour but when he didn’t answer, I left it be and hoped he would call back. He did, after another hour.

“Hey Lana,” he said.

“Hey Dean.”

“You headed out here?”

“Yeah, I’m on a plane to California right now. I’ll be landing at the San Jose airport in about four hours. Can you pick me up there?”

“Sure.”

“Is Sammy okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine.”

“What happened? Why’d you hang up so suddenly?”

Dean sighed and said, “It’s a long story.” There was a pause, and then, “I’ll tell you when I pick you up, okay?”

“Okay.” I hesitated, then asked, “Can I talk to him?”

“Probably not a good idea at the moment. He’s pretty shaken up about what happened.”

“Alright, well tell him I’m coming, got it?”

“Yes, mother,” my little brother joked. I smiled, remembering all the times he’d called me that when we were kids and I would boss him around.

“Thanks. See you soon.”

“See ya.” I hung up, then turned and looked out the window. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that if Sam was shaken up over what happened, then whatever it was had to have concerned either Dad or Jessica, Sam’s girlfriend. I doubted Dean knew about her, since he and Sam didn’t really get along that well after Sam stormed out and left for college. I only knew about Jessica because I try to call my little brothers at least once a month, if not more, to see how they’re doing. Ever since Mom died when Sam was only six months old, it had fallen on me to be their mom. I would pack our lunches in the morning, on those days when we went to school, and I would make sure Dean and Sam took their baths and washed behind their ears. I would even cut their hair and wash their faces.

I just hoped they were okay now.

~

A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I saw the black 1967 Impala and I couldn’t keep a smile off my lips as I shoved my suitcase into the back seat before sliding into the passenger’s seat next to Dean. My smile faded, however, when I saw Dean’s expression. “So what happened?” I asked as he pulled away from the airport.

Dean sighed. “Well, like I said at first, Dad’s been missing. Last I saw him he was going on a hunt, said he’d be back in a day or two. Two days passed and he wasn’t back, but I waited a couple more days before going to get Sammy."

“Sammy agreed to go with you?” As I said this, I twisted around in the seat and rummaged in my suitcase for my gun and knives.

“Yeah. Took a lot of convincing though. Almost had to beat him up.” I turned around and sat back down in the seat, putting the weapons in my lap. Dean glanced at them before continuing. “You brought your own gear?”

“Just my gun and knives.” Dean only grunted as I loaded my 9mm subcompact pistol, being careful to keep it out of sight through the windows. “So, keep going.”

“We followed Dad to the hunt he had been on. Found his room and all his research on the case -- it was a White Woman, by the way -- but not him. Finished the case and then I took Sam home. He said he didn’t want to go back to the hunter’s life, that it wasn’t for him. So I took him home.” Dean paused. “And then his apartment burned.”

“Is Jessica alright?” I asked, aghast.

“She-- wait, you know about Jessica?”

“I know she’s Sam’s girlfriend, if that’s what you’re asking. They’ve been dating for almost two years now. You haven’t talked to Sam for more than three years, Dean, whereas I talk to Sam almost weekly. Of course I know about Sam’s girlfriend.”

A long, silent five minutes passed before Dean said, “She was his girlfriend.”

“Was?” I asked, expecting the worst, and receiving it.

“When Sam got home, he found her on the ceiling, just like Mom.”

“Oh God,” I said, covering my mouth. My eyes filled with tears as I thought of it. My Sam, my little Sammy… “Oh God.”

“Yeah, well, he shouted when he found her and that’s when I hung up. I ran in and found him still lying on his bed and dragged him out of his apartment before he got caught in the flames too.”

“He’s not handling it well at all, is he?”

“No.” There was another long silence, then, “I’m glad you came, Lana. You know I hate chick flick moments--”

“Dean, talking about how you feel is not necessarily a chick flick moment!”

“Whatever, sis. I’m just glad you’re here to do the chick flick thing with Sam so I don’t have to.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know you have ‘chick flick moments’” -- I punctuated my point with air quotes -- “with me all the time.”

“I do not!”

“Yeah you do, all the time. Okay, sure, you don’t ever intend to, but I twist the conversation that way more often than not, and you know it.” Dean started to protest again but I cut him off. “Just admit it, little D. You like telling your big sister all about those girls whose hearts you hate to break when you can only have one-night stands with them because you’re a big tough hunter--”

“Aw come on, Lana!” I only laughed, and then he laughed and said, “Besides, I’m not your little brother any more. I’m taller than you now.”

“Are you crazy? No you’re not.”

“Yes I am. I am totally taller than you.”

“How tall are you, Deany?”

“One, don’t call me Deany, that’s just stupid. And two, I’m six foot one and a quarter, thank you very much.”

I shook my head. “I’ve got you beat, bub. I’m six foot three exactly.”

“You are not!”

“Yeah, I am. You wanna measure, ‘cause I’m sure we could find a measuring tape and figure this out.”

“Yeah, I do,” he said, looking at me fiercely. Then he muttered, “You must have hit a growth spurt while you were gone."

“A growth spurt?” I laughed. “Dean, I’m thirty-two years old. The only way I’m gonna grow is out. You’ve just never accepted the fact that I’m taller than you, always have been and always will be.”

“Whatever you say, sis,” he said as he rolled his eyes, but I heard him chuckle and I smiled as the rest of the road to the motel passed in comfortable silence.

~

We reached the motel and I was at the room door with my baggage before I realized that the Impala was still running and Dean had not gotten out of the car. I turned and looked at him. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“Nah,” he said. “I think I’ll go get something to eat, and maybe some beer, while you and Sam talk things out.” He moved to drive away but then stopped and asked, “You want anything?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He waited. “Well, what do you want?”

“Oh, just whatever you get. I’m not picky right now.”

“Okay. Be back soon.” I nodded and he drove off. I watched him go and then turned back to the door, trying the handle. It was locked but Dean had given me the key, so I unlocked it and went in, taking my luggage with me. Darkness filled the room, the only illumination coming from the small television in the corner. I could see Sam’s outline in the blue glow, and I deposited my baggage on the floor by the table before taking a few steps towards Sam.

“That you, Dean?” he asked. His voice was flat, emotionless.

“No, Sam. It’s me,” I answered.

“Lana?” He turned and looked my way, standing from his seat on the foot of the bed.

“Yeah.” I held my arms open and in a few steps he had engulfed me in one of his patently Sammy hugs. His body was shaking, and soon the sound of sobs filled the room and I felt the dampness of his tears on my shoulder. “Oh God, Sammy,” I said. “I’m so sorry.” I hugged him tightly, squeezing him with all my strength. Then I pulled back and took his face in my hands, looking him in the eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head. “There’s not really much to say, is there?” he said, moving to sit down on the bed again. I sat beside him and turned the lamp on, giving us a little more light. In the new lighting, I could see the tear streaks on his face and the sadness in the lines of his face. “She’s gone, and there was nothing I could do.” He choked as he said, “She’d made me chocolate chip cookies and left a plate of them on the table with a note that said she missed me and she loved me.” He covered his face with his hands and cried. I wrapped my arms around him again, willing all the peace and comfort in me to go to him.

Eventually he stopped crying and I asked, “When is the funeral?”

“They haven’t planned it yet, but it’ll probably be within the week.”

“Do you want Dean and I to come?”

He laughed grimly. “I doubt Dean wants to. But I would appreciate it if you were there.”

“You know Dean is still your brother, right? And he would do anything for you, even go to a funeral.”

“I guess.” He looked so tired, and so old for his twenty-two years.

“Hey, get some sleep if you can, okay?” I said. “You look like crap.”

He looked up then and saw the small smile on my face. Slowly, he smiled back and said, “Well, you look old.”

“I’m thirty-two, little brother, and I’ve had two kids. Of course I look old.”

“Hey, I’m taller than you now, Lana. You can’t really call me little brother any more.”

“You know, Dean said the same thing, but he’s only six-one and I’m six-three, so I can still call him little brother.”

Sam stood, fully smiling now. “Well, I’m six-four and a half, so I’ve got you beat, sis.”

“You’re still my little brother, Sammy. Always will be.” He gathered me into another hug and then the door opened and Dean stepped in.

“You left the door unlocked?” he asked, shoving aside books to set a greasy paper take-out bag down on the table. Then he looked up, saw us hugging, and said, “You guys done yet?”

Sam let go of me and rolled his eyes. I smiled and turned to my other brother. “Yeah, Dean, we’re done.”

“What’d you get?” Sam asked, going to the table.

“Beer and burgers.”

“Perfect,” I said, sitting down and taking out a burger for myself.

~

A week later, Sam stood at Jessica’s grave, flowers in hand. I was standing a distance behind him, and Dean was leaning against the Impala. We had been to the funeral earlier that day and had gone to get flowers while they put her coffin in the ground and covered it with earth. Now Sam kneeled down and placed the flowers against the headstone, murmuring a few words. After a few minutes, I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder. We stayed like that for a few moments, then he stood, turned, hugged me, and we walked back to the Impala and Dean.

Once back at the motel, we packed up while discussing the boys’ plan. Dad had left Dean a note with coordinates to somewhere, and they planned to go there. “Will you come with us?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, we could use your help,” Dean added.

“No, I can’t,” I said, zipping shut my suitcase. “I have to get back home. I’ve got responsibilities. I’ve got a whole forest to take care of.”

“That’s too bad. It’d be fun to hunt with you again.” Dean smiled and turned to me.

I smiled back. “Yeah, it would. You boys oughtta come out to my place sometime and do some hunting.”

“You get stuff in the forest?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“Well, if we pass through Arkansas we’ll give you a call.”

“You better,” I said, ruffling Sam’s hair like he was a kid. He only smiled and hugged me. “And you know you can call me whenever you need me. My phone’s never off.” I moved to ruffle Dean’s hair but he slapped my hand away so I pulled him into a hug instead; he sighed and rolled his eyes. Then we took our stuff out to the Impala and they drove me to the airport. I waved one last time as I wheeled my luggage through the doors and they drove off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lana hears the news about Sam and Dean's encounter with the shifter in St. Louis.

“Lana, darling,” called Zach from the living room. “Have you seen the news recently?”

“No, I haven’t,” I called back from the kitchen. “Why? Is there something I should see?”

Zach walked in, laptop in hand, and said, “It’s your brothers.”

My eyes widened and I washed my hands (which had just been cleaning a pumpkin for Thanksgiving tomorrow) and dried them on a towel before taking it from him and sitting down at the table. There was an article pulled up from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s website. Skimming it, my eyes caught “Dean Winchester”, “multiple murders”, and “killer shot to death.” I paused, rereading that section. It said that Dean Winchester was believed to be responsible for a series of killings in St. Louis and that he was later found dead in the sewers. I started trembling as I grabbed my phone and dialed Sam’s number. Zach placed his hands on my shoulders as I waited. It rang twice before he picked up. “Hello?”

“Sam? It’s Lana,” I said.

“Hey Lana. What’s up?”

“Is Dean… okay? I mean, is he alive? I heard about St. Louis. They found his body, said he murdered people.”

“No, no, he’s fine. It was a shapeshifter. It had his form when we killed it, so that’s why they pinned it on him.”

I sighed, letting my head fall forward and the tension leave my shoulders. “I’m so glad to hear that.”

“You wanna talk to him?”

“Sure.”

“Here.” There was muffled sound of Sam talking to Dean, then Dean’s voice said, “Hey, sis.”

“Hey, Dean,” I said with a smile. “I just wanted to say I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, having to watch yourself die, that’s a big deal, right?”

“Eh, it wasn’t that bad. I did feel a little upset about missing the chance to see my own funeral.” He laughed.

I chuckled a bit. Typical Dean. “Where are you guys heading now?”

“Heard about something in Iowa. We might go check that out.”

“You guys know Thanksgiving is tomorrow, right?”

“Uh, no, didn’t realize that.”

“You oughtta come down and visit. It only takes about a seven hour drive from St. Louis.”

“Thanks, Lana, but I think we’ll pass on this one. We’re still trying to find Dad, too.”

“That’s fine, but it just means you all are required to come to Christmas, then.”

“Lana--”

“Dean Winchester, you promise me you will come to my house to celebrate Christmas with your family this year.”

“Fine. I promise Sam and I will be at your place for Christmas.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise.”

“Okay. Well hey, we gotta go. Talk to you later.”

“For sure. Love you boys.”

“Love you too.” I faintly heard Sam yell, “Love you too, Lana!” before the line clicked off. I clicked the end button and shut my phone, smiling. I was glad they had promised to come to Christmas. Sam had been at my place quite a few times over the years for holidays and vacations and such, but Dean hadn’t visited since before Jackie was born and we hadn’t had a real family holiday since I went to college.

“So they’re fine?” Zach asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I said, standing and returning to the pumpkin. “A shapeshifter took Dean’s form right before they killed it.”

“I see. And they’re coming down for Christmas?”

“Well, I made them promise they would, so we’ll see how that works out.”

“Does Dean know about the rules around here?”

“About hunting on holidays? No, he doesn’t, but he will as soon as he arrives for Christmas.” My husband looked a little skeptical, so I paused and said, “Zach, I don’t want my family hunting during Christmas any more than you do. They’ll both know the rules and we’ll have a quiet family holiday.”

Zach looked at me then and smiled. “I know.”

“Now help me finish this pumpkin so I can get the pies made.”

~

A few days later, as I was sitting on the couch reading a report that had been sent to me about attacks on the eastern edge of the forest, Mary climbed up beside me and asked, “Are fairy-tale monsters real, Mommy?”

I set aside the report, shooting a glance at Zach, who nodded, before turning to my oldest daughter and saying, “Yes, Mary. Fairy-tale monsters are real.”

“I thought so,” she said. “And you and Uncle Dean and Uncle Sam hunt them?”

“Some of them, yes.”

“I heard you talking to Daddy about a shapeshifter.”

“You did? Well, aren’t you just sneaky.” I booped her nose and she giggled. “Uncle Dean and Uncle Sam found a shapeshifter in St. Louis. It was killing people, so they had to track it down and take care of it.”

“You mean they killed it.”

“Yes, they killed it. They had to, or it would have kept killing people.”

“I know.” She was quiet for a moment, then looked right into my eyes and asked, “Are you going to teach me how to kill monsters?”

“Only if you want me to, sweetie. You don’t have to be a hunter like me, you know. You can be whatever you want.”

“I do want you to teach me. What if something comes in through the window in my room? If I know how to kill it, then I’ll be okay.”

“Nothing’s going to come through your window, honey. I made sure of that. I drew things in your room that would keep evil things out.”

“Can you teach me how to draw those?”

“I’ll teach you whatever you want to learn, Mary. But it’ll be hard, and scary sometimes.”

“I’m ready, Mommy.” In my mind all I could think was, no you’re not, but I smiled and hugged her.

Standing, I said, “Come on, time for bed.”

“Will you reading me a story before I go to sleep?” she asked, following me to the bedroom she and Jackie shared.

“Of course I will. What one do you want tonight?”

She climbed into bed as she replied, “Little Red Riding Hood.” And so I grabbed the hardbound copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales from the highest bookshelf in their room and began to read to them. “Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet. I did that a lot with this series. Long, action-packed chapters cut between with short fluffy ones, usually.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys show up at Lana's house for Christmas and they help with preparations. Lots of family fluff.

As I stood on a ladder hanging Christmas lights from the gutter, the familiar rumble of the Impala’s engine reached my ears and grew louder. I smiled. The boys were early; it was only the fifteenth and I hadn’t expected them until the twentieth at the earliest. I hooked the strand of lights I was working on into its clip and then descended the ladder. My feet touched ground just as the Impala turned into the driveway and came to a stop. Turning to greet the boys, my smile faded when I saw the somber looks on their faces. But I resolved to get them in the house and sitting down before we talked about anything upsetting, so I waited for them to get out of the Impala before saying, “Sam, Dean. It’s good to see you.” Then I gave them each a hug. Dean didn’t resist the hug, even going so far as to squeeze me right back, hard, and that’s when I knew it was serious. “Come on, let’s go inside,” I said, leading the way into my house.

“Zach!” I called as soon as I was through the front door. “The boys are here. I’m taking them back to the study to talk for a moment. Could you bring us some beers, please?”

“Sure, darling!” came his voice from the kitchen. “Be right there!” Then I made my way to the study, Dean and Sam following close behind me. Once in the study, I motioned for them to take a seat anywhere as I sat on a loveseat in one corner.

“Where are the girls?” Sam asked, taking a seat next to me.

“Mary’s in school and Jackie’s taking a nap.”

“I didn’t know Mary is in school now,” Dean said, sitting in an armchair by the fireplace.

“Yeah, she’s in first grade.”

“Well, that’s just great.”

There was silence for a while. Zach came in with the beers and looked at me questioningly, but I only shook my head and he set the beers down with a knowing look and left. I let the silence sit for another moment or two before asking, “Where are you two coming from?”

“Lawrence,” answered Sam after taking a swig of his beer.

“Lawrence?”

“I’d been having these dreams. It was usually just the outline of a tree, but I realized it was the tree in front of our old house in Lawrence. And then that night I had a nightmare that this woman and her kids died in the house.”

“I didn’t want to go,” Dean said. “But Sam said his nightmares sometimes came true. So we went.” And so they told me about the house, the poltergeist, Missouri Moseley, and Mom’s spirit. My eyes were watering by the time they were done.

“Missouri said Mom’s spirit had destroyed itself to banish the poltergeist,” Sam concluded. “But she didn’t know anything about my nightmares.” He looked down at his hands.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked over at Dean. He was staring into the flames that were crackling in the fireplace. “Well,” I said, sighing. “All I can say is that I’m glad you boys aren’t alone after that. You need time to recover, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do, alright?” I stood and went over to Dean, putting my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me as I said, “There was a case I was thinking of taking, a small ghost one on the edge of the forest, but now that you boys are here I’m gonna call a friend. No hunting while you’re here, okay?” Sam nodded, Dean hesitated, but I raised an eyebrow at him and a ghost of a smile touched his lips as he rolled his eyes and nodded. “Good. Now come on outside and help me put up the rest of the lights before we have to pick up Mary from school.”

The boys stood and we headed back out, stopping in the kitchen to throw away the beer bottles. I filled in Zach with the plan and then we were outside, hanging strings of multi-colored lights on the edges of the gutters and on the branches of the large tree in the front yard. When we were done, we stood back and admired our handiwork. “The kids are gonna love it,” I said, smiling. “They live for the Christmas lights every year. And this year they get a surprise.” I looked at Dean and Sam. “They get you.” They smiled back at me and I went over to open the garage. Dean let out a low whistle as my car came into view.

“What year is that? ‘68?” he asked, circling the white Ford Mustang that sat in my garage.

“1969,” I replied, smiling. “Found her at a junkyard in Missouri a year ago when I was on a job. Needed a lot of work, but I’d been looking for a car like her for a while, so I bought her and brought her back here.”

“So is the 4Runner Zach’s?” Sam asked, motioning to the Toyota next to the Mustang.

“We don’t really do that kind of thing. Both of these cars belong to both of us. Usually the 4Runner is for off-road trips, like when I’m patrolling the forest or if we’re camping. The Mustang’s for going into town or long road trips. Or, you know, just cruising.” I opened the passenger’s door and pulled a lever to lean the seat forward so I could pull out Mary’s booster seat. “Unfortunately, it won’t fit three full-grown Winchesters, so we’ll have to take the Impala, if that’s all right.”

“Sure,” Dean said. “But I wanna drive the Mustang sometime.”

“The day you drive my Mustang is the day I drive Baby again for the first time in nearly fifteen years.” I smirked as the conflict showed on Dean’s face.

He finally sighed and said, “Fine. Tomorrow.”

“Sounds great. Now let’s go get Mary.” I moved to the Impala and set the booster seat in the back. “You want shotgun, Sammy?”

“Nah, you can have it,” he said. “I’ll take the back.”

“Thanks.” I slid into the front and as one we shut the doors of the Impala.

~

Fifteen minutes later we parked the Impala in front of the school and got out to wait for Mary. I took a seat on the trunk and the boys leaned up against the side of the Impala. A few moments later the bell signaled that school was out, and in minutes the front entrance was crowded with students, teachers, and parents. I walked up to join the throng, searching for Mary’s face in the midst of all the children. Then I finally spotted her and said, “Mary! Here!” She looked towards my voice and saw me, her face lighting up with a smile. When she reached me, she took my hand. “How was your day, sweetie?” I asked as I maneuvered us through the crowd towards the Impala.

“Good,” she said, swinging her other arm as we walked. “We did finger-painting today for art. I made a landscape.”

“Great. We can hang it on the art wall when you bring it home.” We finally made it through the crowd and I said, “I brought a couple people with me to pick you up today.”

“Who is it?”

“Look over there and see.” I pointed in the direction of the Impala and she turned her head quickly. When she saw Sam and Dean, she squealed and let go of my hand to run over to them.

“Uncle Sam! Uncle Dean!” she yelled. Smiles had spread wide over the boys’ faces when they saw her start running to them, and Sam knelt down to greet her, arms held wide. She ran right into him, wrapping her arms around his chest to hug him. His arms went around her, her tiny form swallowed up by his huge one.

“Hey, Mary,” Sam said, kissing the top of her head. “I’ve missed you. How’ve you been?”

“I’m super good!” she said, pulling away. “I missed you too, but now you’re here! Are you guys here for Christmas?”

“‘Course we are, little lady,” Dean said. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Mary left Sam to give Dean a hug around his waist. He put his hand on top of her head and said, “Would you look at that? You’ve grown a bit since I saw you last time.”

“Duh, silly. I’m a big girl now.”

“Oh really?” Dean raised his eyebrows. “I bet you’re still little enough for me to do this!” In one swift motion he leaned down, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her up, throwing her into the air and catching her when she came down. She screamed in delight and wrapped her arms around his neck when she was in his arms again, laughing. “Come on now, let’s get you in the car so we can get you home.” Dean opened the door and set her down on the booster seat inside.

He moved to pull the buckle over her but she took it from his hands and did it herself. “I told you I’m a big girl now, Uncle Dean.” He only laughed and got into the driver’s seat.

~

Zach was sitting on the couch watching Jackie play with her Legos when we got back to the house. “Hey, look who’s awake,” I said, going over and kneeling down beside her with the blocks.

“Hi Mommy,” she said, occupied with putting one brick on top of the other. “Cake!” She held up a square-shaped block of bricks with small one-size pieces making candles.

“That’s great, Jackie,” Sam said from the doorway.

When she heard his voice, my youngest daughter looked up quickly and said, “Unca Sammy!” She abandoned the Legos, stood, and ran over to him as fast as her little legs could go. He picked her up and hugged her. Then she saw Dean standing behind him and asked, “Who you?”

“Jackie, that’s Uncle Dean,” I said. “He’s my brother too.”

“Unca… D?” she said.

“Dean,” he said. “Uncle Dean.” He smiled.

She narrowed her eyes but reached out to him and he took her gently in his arms. She leaned back from him to look at him, then leaned forward again and grabbed his ears. “Unca D!” She giggled and tugged his ears, then let go and said, “Okay down.” Dean leaned down and set her on her feet and she walked back to the Legos, plopping down beside them.

“She’s real cute,” Dean said, watching her meticulously take apart the Lego cake and start something new.

“She’s a real handful,” I said. “Just wait ‘til you wake up to Legos in your shoes.” Dean looked confused but Sam had a knowing smile on his face. “But let’s get your bags and get you guys a bed.”

“Oh, we were just gonna get a room--” Dean started, but I cut him off.

“I have more than enough space for you guys here. There’s the guest bedroom that we always keep ready and the loveseat in the study is a pull-out bed. You guys’ll have to fight for the real bed.” My little brothers held up their fists, prepared to go a round of rock-paper-scissors for the bedroom, but I stopped them. “Good ol’ rock-paper-scissors isn’t such a great idea. Dean, you always throw scissors, and Sam knows that. Here,” I pulled out a quarter from my pocket. “Call it in the air, Sammy.” I flipped it and he said, “Heads.” When it hit the floor, it spun for a moment before revealing tails.

“Yes!” Dean said, pumping his fist out and pulling it back to his side. “Sorry, Sam, but this time I beat you.”

Sam just laughed and said, “Let’s go get our stuff.”

At that moment, Mary ran out from her bedroom, where she had retreated to after getting home, and grabbed Sam’s hand, tugging it. “Uncle Sam, come look at the new books I got the other day. You’ll love them.”

He looked down at her with a smile and I said, “Go on. I’ll get your bags for you.”

“Thanks,” he said, allowing himself to be pulled along by his hand. Dean and I headed outside to the Impala again and grabbed their bags from the trunk. I deposited Sam’s bags next to the loveseat in the study before leading Dean to the bedroom next to the girls’ room. I left Dean unpacking and headed to the kitchen to begin dinner.

I was in the middle of peeling potatoes when Zach walked up beside me and joined me. “Did Jackie get bored of Legos?” I asked.

“No,” he replied, picking up a potato and carefully peeling it with the small paring knife in his hand. “Dean’s watching her.”

I shot a look over my shoulder to the living room. Dean was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Jackie, Legos in hand. She was giggling at something he had said. I smiled and turned back to the potatoes. “Looks like Jackie’s already taken with Dean.”

“She’s probably happy to have someone new to play Legos with.” I nodded as I finished peeling the last potato and began chopping them into small pieces. “Did you tell the boys about hunting on holidays?”

“Yes. Besides, I wouldn’t take them hunting right now anyway unless it was an absolute emergency.” Zach looked at me, concerned. “They drove here from Lawrence. Mom’s ghost sacrificed herself to save them from and destroy a poltergeist that had been haunting our old home.” I looked up from the potato in my hand. 

“They’re a long way from okay right now, and they need all the rest they can get.”

Zach nodded, then asked, “Are you okay?”

“Well, I’m a little worried about these visions or dreams or whatever it is Sam’s having, but other than that I’m fine.”

“You’re not upset that Dean and Sam saw your mother again but you didn’t?”

“I had ten years with my mother. Sure, it wasn’t as many as I wanted and there were definitely times I wished she was still with me, but Dean only had four and Sam doesn’t even remember her. They needed to see her again.” I looked my husband in the eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Good. They come to you when they need help, you’re their anchor, but don’t forget about yourself. You need someone to be your anchor too.”

“Silly, I already have an anchor. You.” I leaned in and kissed him. There was a squeal of laughter from behind us, and we broke apart and turned to the living room. 

Dean had taken off his shoes and was flat on his back, Jackie lying on her stomach on his feet while he lifted her into the air. Her arms were stretched from side to side and she was laughing, saying, “Flying! Flying, Unca D!”

Zach and I laughed, turning back to the potatoes. “I’ll get out the ground beef and start making the meatloaf if you finish chopping these potatoes,” I said.

“Sure,” he answered. “You’re making mashed potatoes, right? So boil them?”

“Yeah.” We worked in tandem, getting meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and salad made for dinner. When it was ready, I went to the girls’ room to get Sam and Mary for dinner. I paused in the doorway, though, when I saw the two of them. Sam was sitting on Mary’s bed, one hand holding a book, his other arm wrapped around Mary, who was curled up into his side. He was reading to her from one of the Narnia books. I smiled before saying, “Hey, you two book worms. Time for dinner.”

Sam and Mary looked up at the same time. “Alright,” Sam said. “We’re coming.” Mary handed him a bookmark from her nightstand and then they stood and followed me to the dining room, where Dean, Zach, and Jackie were already sitting at the table.

As we sat at the table, eating, talking, and laughing, I smiled to myself. This was going to be a great Christmas.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lana and the boys go shopping for Christmas presents. Shenanigans ensue.

The morning of the twentieth of December, I woke up and went to the kitchen to begin breakfast like I always do. But as I stood at the counter pouring water into the percolator, I heard giggling drifting down the hallway. I padded down the hall, coming to a stop at the door of the guest room, where Dean was sleeping. The door was open a crack, so I peeked in and saw Mary and Jackie standing beside Dean’s bed, putting makeup on his face while he slept. I put a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing and hurried to get a camera. I had to rummage around in the study’s desk for it, trying to be quiet. Sam woke up, despite my best efforts, and he sat up groggily, saying, “What’s going on?”

I finally found the camera and stood up. “Come on, I’ll show you.” He got up and followed me to the guest room. I motioned him to be quiet, then pushed the door open more. The girls had put eyeliner, blue eye shadow powder, and mascara on Dean and were now smearing bright red lipstick over his lips and putting pink blush on his cheeks. Sam struggled to suppress his laugh as I snuck up behind the girls. “Are you guys almost done?” I whispered. Mary nodded and put the final touch on Dean’s cheek: a small black beauty mark. I giggled quietly and motioned for the girls to turn around and smile for the camera. Then I held the viewfinder to my eye and took the picture.

The four of us snuck out of the guest room as quietly as possible, shutting the door behind us. Dean had a particular routine in the morning: he wakes up, uses the restroom, then comes out for breakfast. All we had to do was wait for him to wake up. Once we were in the kitchen, we broke down laughing. A few moments later, Zach walked into the kitchen, tying the belt on his robe. “What’s so funny?” he asked, looking at the four of us. I could only manage to shake my head and hold up a hand to tell him to wait.

After a few minutes, we managed to calm down. That’s when we heard the door to the guest bedroom open and Dean’s footsteps make their way to the bathroom. I held up five fingers and silently counted down. At three fingers, the toilet flushed. At one the water turned on, then as my hand made a fist, there came a shout of “AHH!” Then the water turned off and Dean stormed out of the bathroom down the hall. He entered the kitchen, coming to a sudden stop when he saw us all sitting there waiting for him. Zach spoke up first. “Well, Dean, I have to say I’m surprised. I knew you were a little strange but I never would’ve thought you were a hooker by night.”

Sam and I cracked up again, and the girls started laughing just because we were. Dean stood there in his boxer shorts and t-shirt, makeup all over his face, and just frowned at us. “This isn’t funny, guys,” he said, though I heard a laugh building in his voice. His face twitched, and a smile slowly grew, and then he was laughing with the rest of us. Looking at the girls, he asked, “You guys do this to me?” Their smiles only grew as they giggled, but that was answer enough. Dean growled playfully and ran at them, arms out to grab them, and they dodged away, running out of the kitchen. He chased them around the house and finally caught them in the living room, grabbing one in each arm and tossing them gently onto the couch before tickling them.

I watched them, smiling, before turning back to the coffee pot and pouring myself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Then I went over to the special Christmas countdown calendar in the living room and moved the paper candy cane from the day six spot to the day five spot. Sam came up beside me and said, “Wow, only five days until Christmas now?”

“Yep,” I said. “You guys got your presents wrapped?”

“Um. Presents?”

“Yeah, you know, gifts? Things usually given on Christmas morning?”

“Umm…”

I raised an eyebrow. “You and Dean haven’t bought any presents yet.”

Sam looked sheepish. “No.”

I sighed. “Well, you’d better get dressed. I’ll take you two shopping today after breakfast.”

“Thanks Lana.” Sam smiled. “We can always count on you.”

“You know it.” I walked back to the kitchen, where Zach was already frying up some bacon and eggs on the stove. I put bread in the toaster before grabbing strawberries out of the fridge. I knew Sam loved fresh fruit in his cereal, so I chopped some up for him before popping one into my mouth. Over in the living room, Dean gave in to the girls’ laughing shouts of “Stop, stop!” and stood to head to the bathroom. I quickly went to my own bathroom and grabbed some makeup removal wipes. Then I went to the other bathroom and leaned against the doorframe, holding the wipes out to him. “Here,” I said. “These’ll get that makeup off easier.”

“Thanks,” my little brother replied, taking the wipes.

“Hurry up with that. After breakfast I’m taking you and Sam shopping for Christmas presents.” Dean grunted and I went back to the kitchen for breakfast.

~

Dean picked up a foam sword and swung it at Sam, who ducked out of the way. “Really?” he asked, slightly annoyed.

“Come on, Sammy,” Dean said, smiling. “Have a sword fight with me.”

“We’re in a store, Dean. Act like an adult.”

“Why?”

Smiling, I grabbed my own foam sword and swung at Sam, hitting his butt. “Hey!” he said, turning to me.

“Act like a kid, Sammy,” I said. “It’s Christmas.”

He rolled his eyes but suddenly grabbed a sword and took a swing at me. I dodged and ran down the aisle, turning sharply into the next one. I heard Sam’s footsteps behind me, so I sped up a bit to get away. But when I turned back into the aisle we’d just occupied, Dean’s sword came out of nowhere and hit me in the stomach. 

“Oh not fair,” I gasped. “You’re not supposed to gang up on me.”

“Eh, well,” Dean said as Sam came around the corner, panting. “It’s Christmas. Sam wouldn’t have caught you if I’d let you go.”

“Would too,” our younger brother protested.

“If it helps you sleep at night, Sammy,” Dean said, putting the sword back down where he’d got it. Sam and I followed suit, then went back to browsing the toy aisles for gifts for the girls. “Hey, look at this,” Dean said, pulling a box off the shelf. “Do you think Jack would like cars?”

I smiled at the use of his nickname for my younger daughter and said, “She’s got a few already. What’s in the box?”

“It’s a racetrack set. Comes with a couple cars.”

“She’d probably love that.”

Dean nodded. “I’ll get her this then.”

We walked up and down the aisles, Dean and Sam grabbing toys and games for the girls. Then Sam and Dean walked off to get gifts for me and Zach, telling me not to follow them. I smiled and said I wouldn’t, then headed back out to the Impala to wait for them.

When the boys got out to the car, laden down with plastic bags, I leaned out the window from the driver’s side and said, “What about today, Dean? You wanna drive the Mustang today?” Dean considered it, then smiled and tossed me the keys for the Impala. “Yes!” I said, leaning back from the window and starting up Baby. Sam and Dean laughed and got in. As soon as I turned the radio on to a pop music station, however, Dean frowned and began to protest. “Driver picks the music, Dean,” I said, then turned up the volume and pulled away from the store.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally Christmas Eve but things go awry for the Winchester-Greenwood family, as things usually do when it concerns those boys.

It was the day before Christmas. All the gifts were wrapped and hidden in my closet, to be placed beneath the Christmas tree in the early morning hours before the girls woke up. Today was going to be spent gathering a few more bucketfuls of blackberries from the woods for cobbler and then making said cobbler. So after lunch the Greenwood family and the Winchester brothers put on our coats and headed outside to take a walk through the trees. The girls walked on their own for a while, but then Jackie said her feet were tired, so Sam picked her up and carried her on his shoulders, and Mary followed suit soon after on Dean’s shoulders (after having to employ her uncle’s puppy dog eyes to get the ride). Soon the two girls were giggling as they directed their uncles to bend down so they could get berries and then having them race each other down the path.

Zach and I linked arms as we walked, smiling happily as we watched my little brothers play with my daughters. Our buckets were filled with blackberries and so we decided to turn back. “Boys!” I called to them. They stopped and looked back. “Let’s go back! We’ve got enough berries now.” They nodded, turned around, and then raced back down the path, blowing past us, the girls’ screams of joy filling the air.

There was a blur at the corner of my eye, but when I turned, it was gone. Then there was a rustle of leaves to my left, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I only had time to call out “Stop!” before the blur I’d seen earlier dashed out of the trees and grabbed Dean, causing Mary to tumble from his shoulders. In a flash a second blur appeared and grabbed her before she hit the ground, and then there was moment of clarity. I saw a man and a woman with their hands on Dean, dragging him into the forest. Another man held Mary tight in his arms as he followed the other two. I screamed “No!” as he disappeared and he cast a look over his shoulder, baring his fangs in triumph.

Vampire.

I began to run after them. I had to get my daughter and brother back. But Zach’s hands stopped me, held me back. “Let go, Zach!” I screamed, twisting in his hold.

“Lana, wait!” he said through gritted teeth.

“They have Mary! And Dean!”

“And they also have fangs!”

“I’m going to kill them!”

“You can’t without a weapon!” The words hit me like a ton of bricks and I realized he was right. We’d come out here expecting nothing; none of us was armed. I bet Dean had his knife, sure, but probably nothing else, and they’d take that from him as soon as they got him to their lair. I calmed down and Zach let go of my arms to grab my hand. That’s when I noticed Jackie crying. I looked over and saw Sam holding Jackie in his arms gently as she sobbed and reached towards the trees, where the sound of branches rustling was slowly fading.

“Mawy!” she cried. “Unca D!”

“Come here, baby,” I said, going over and taking her from Sam. “They’ll be fine, I promise. Come on, let’s get back to the house.” I started running back, Zach and Sam trailing me. All I could think was: those sons of bitches better not hurt my family.

Once we were back at the house I handed Jackie to Zach and went to our hidden weapons cache. I grabbed a machete and handed it to Sam, then put two on my belt: one for me, one for Dean when I got to him. Then I turned to Zach and gave him a fourth machete, saying, “Go to the panic room and lock it from the inside. Don’t open it for anything or anyone unless it’s me, Dean, or Sam giving you the all-clear signal.” He nodded. “I love you,” I added and kissed him quickly.

“I love you too,” he said.

Then I turned to Jackie, tears still streaming down her face. “Don’t worry, sweetie. Mommy and Uncle Sam are gonna go get Mary and Uncle Dean, alright? We’ll be back before you know it.” She nodded, bottom lip pushed out, and I kissed her head, whispering, “I love you.”

~

Sam and I tracked the vampires back to their lair, an abandoned house on the eastern edge of the forest. We circled it cautiously, looking for the easiest way in or for a hint of Dean and Mary. There wasn’t a sound from the house, so we made our way to the front and went in through the door. We made our way through the house, killing any vamps in our way. Eventually we made it down to the basement, where we found Dean tied up against a support beam. “Thank God,” he said as Sam and I hurried down the steps to him.

“Where’s Mary?” I asked as I cut the rope around his wrists.

“They took her into another room down here,” Dean answered, taking the machete I offered him. I nodded, then exchanged glances with my brothers. As one we nodded, then headed for the only door in the basement. We kicked it open and ran through to find four vamps surrounding a small bed on which Mary lay, dazed. One was sucking on her neck but looked up at us when we entered, baring his fangs.

“You get away from my daughter, you son of a bitch!” I yelled at the vampire before running straight for him, machete raised. The three others lunged at me, trying to keep me from the feeding male vamp, but Sam and Dean stepped in and took them on, allowing me to duck out of the melee and run over to the bed. The vampire was waiting for me and I stopped for a moment, sizing him up before taking a swing. He dodged and then all my anger was released and I feinted towards his head. When he moved to protect his neck, I changed the swing to come back to his legs, chopping his feet off to keep him from running. He was on the floor and I swung my machete up and paused, placing my foot on his chest to keep him from moving. Then I smiled at him humorlessly before bringing the machete down and decapitating him.

The machete bit deep into the wood flooring beneath and I left it there, thoughts of the vampire gone as I turned to the bed and hurried to my daughter. She was still lying there, eyes half-closed, and as I sat next to her I pressed a handkerchief against the bite in her neck and said, “Mary? Mary, can you hear me?”

Her eyes fluttered open and she said, “Mommy--?”

“Oh baby,” I said, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to my chest. “Everything’s alright now. I’ve got you.” I looked around then, remembering Dean and Sam and the other three vamps. My little brothers were standing over the headless bodies of the vampires, watching Mary and I. They nodded and I turned back to my daughter. “Did they make you drink anything, honey?” I asked, making her look up at me so I could check for blood around her mouth.

“No, Mommy,” she said, coming to a bit. “The vampire just drank from me. He wasn’t trying to turn me.”

“Good.” I gathered her small frame up in my arms and stood. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’re going home now.” I let Sam lead the way out of the house, Dean following behind me, and together we hurried back through the woods to my home.

Inside, I took Mary to my bathroom to patch her up while Sam went to give the all-clear signal to Zach. “Dean,” I asked as I sat Mary on the counter by the sink. “How long did they have her in there? How long were they feeding on her?”

“It was only a few minutes,” he answered. “Five at the most. They were going to wait a while but when they heard you outside, their leader or whatever said he wasn’t going to be killed without drinking from her. Something about a child’s blood being sweeter than an adult’s.” He clenched his fists. “They took my knife from my sleeve or else I would have cut that damn rope and been at the vamp’s neck before he could do anything.”

“I know Dean.” I had wiped most of the blood away from the bite mark in her neck. Now I tilted my head and considered it. “Does that look like it needs stitches?” I asked, biting my lip.

He leaned closer to Mary, inspecting the bite. “No, I don’t think so,” he said.

“Okay.” I disinfected the bite, wiping it down with hydrogen peroxide and alcohol wipes, Mary squeezing my arm tight when it burned. Then I applied anti-bacterial ointment to it and covered it with a large piece of gauze, taping it down firmly. “Alright, baby girl,” I said. “You’re all fixed up. Now you’re going to have a snack and then you’re going to sleep this off, okay?”

“Okay Mommy,” Mary said, nodding carefully to avoid moving the bandage. I picked her up again and carried her out to the kitchen, Dean close behind. We met Sam, Zach, and Jackie there. When Jackie saw her big sister, she called, “Mawy!

Mary smiled and leaned over to give Jackie a hug. “I’m okay, Jackie.” Then I sat her down at the small table in the kitchen and began making her a snack of peanut butter toast and milk. Jackie’s attention then turned to Dean to see if he was okay, and Zach transferred her to my brother’s arms before coming beside me. “Is that a bandage on Mary’s neck?” he asked, stopping me.

“Yes,” I said, looking up at him.

His eyes hardened. “Tell me you killed them.”

“There were no bodies with attached heads when we left the building.” He nodded, then pulled me into a tight hug. I stared over his shoulder at Mary. “Do you think she’ll be alright?” I whispered.

“She’s a tough girl,” he whispered back. “Just like her mum. She’ll be fine.” He pulled away then and opened a cabinet, getting a glass for Mary’s milk.

I made sure Mary ate her snack and then tucked her into bed for a nap until dinner. Rest would be the best way for her to regain her strength after being fed on by a vampire. The four adults took turns sitting in the girls’ room watching her while the rest of the preparations for Christmas were made. Sam was taking his turn while Dean and I made cobbler out of the blackberries we’d gathered. I couldn’t help but think I would appreciate the dessert more if my daughter and brother hadn’t come so close to being food for vamps.

~

That night I slept uneasily, tossing and turning in bed. I couldn’t stop thinking about the attack. I relived it over and over, pieces of it flashing through my mind just when I thought I was about to fall asleep. I turned over with a sigh and looked at the clock on my bedside table. The soft green glow told me it was almost one in the morning. I groaned and rolled back over onto my back. After a few more minutes, I decided to get up and put out the presents. If I was awake, I might as well do something productive. I got out of bed quietly so as to not disturb Zach and went to the closet to get the presents.

It took about four trips to carry all the presents from the closet to the tree and then I spent an inordinate amount of time arranging them nicely according to recipient. Unsurprisingly, the number of presents the girls were getting far surpassed the number of presents the adults had gotten each other. It was now three-thirty in the morning, I had just finished arranging the presents for the last time, and I was nursing my second mug of coffee when there was a crash like glass breaking and then the girls screamed. I dropped my mug of coffee and ran into the girls’ room. Both were sitting up in bed, absolutely terrified, and their window was smashed in, the cold wind blowing in. “Are you alright?” I asked, going over to them.

“Yes,” Mary managed to say. Jackie was crying loudly and I gathered them both into my arms before managing to get a glance out of the window. Dean was circling a vampire, machete raised. Glass shards were scattered on the ground and I could see some cuts on his arms and face. As I watched them fight, Zach and Sam came running into the room as well.

“What’s going on?” Zach was first to ask.

“I don’t know,” I said. Then I handed the girls to the two of them, trading Jackie to Sam for the machete he was holding. “Take the girls to our room,” I said. “I don’t think you need to go to the safe room because there looks to be just one, but be ready just in case.” They nodded at me and then I turned to the window and climbed out.

The vamp had Dean up against a tree, hands around his throat. Dean was fighting to get away but when he saw me coming towards them, a cruel smile broke out over his face. “Why are you smiling?” the vampire growled.

“My big sister’s behind you,” Dean answered just before I swung the machete and cut off the vamp’s head. Dean shoved the body down and then said, “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” I motioned back towards the window. “What happened?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Dean answered as we walked around to the front door. “And I had this bad feeling, like we’d missed something. So I sat in the girls’ room, watching over them. I had almost fallen asleep, thinking everything was fine, when I noticed something moving outside their window. I went over to check it out and there was the vamp, trying to pry open the window. So I jumped through and tackled him to keep him from getting to the girls.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Lana. They’re my family too.”

I smiled as we got to the door. Zach opened it for us after I gave the all-clear signal and we headed to the living room. Sam was sitting on the couch, Jackie in his lap and Mary curled up against his side. Mary was asleep and Jackie was getting close, so Sam whispered, “Is everything okay?”

“It is now,” I whispered back. “There was a stray vampire but we’ve killed it. We’ll take care of the body later. For now I’m going to go clean up and then I think we should get what sleep we can the rest of the night.”

“I second that,” Dean said, heading for the bathroom in the hall.

“There’s a first-aid kit for your cuts in the bottom drawer.” He nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

I took a little time to step into the shower to rinse off the feeling I always got after killing something. When I reentered the living room, Sam had stretched out a bit on the couch, Mary still tucked in close to his side, both of them fast asleep. Dean had taken a spot on the floor on his back and somehow Jackie had ended up spread out on his chest. His hands rested lightly on her back and his eyes were half-closed, little snores telling me he was finally asleep as well. Zach was sitting in an armchair, watching the four sleeping. I curled up at his feet, laying my head in his lap. My eyes started to close and I jerked myself awake. “Go to sleep, love,” Zach whispered, running his fingers through my hair. “I’ll keep watch.” I smiled and allowed myself to relax, eyes closing.

~

Zach woke me four hours later. “Morning,” I said, stretching as I leaned away from his legs.

“Good morning, love,” he answered with a smile.

“Anything happen while I was asleep?”

“Nothing. You want breakfast duty or shall I?”

“Let’s make it together.”

He pulled me to my feet and swept me into a hug. Placing a kiss on my lips, he said, “That sounds like a good idea.”

Fifteen minutes later the smell of bacon and waffles woke the girls and they scrambled from where they were sleeping to come to the kitchen, the resulting ruckus waking their uncles as well. Soon all six of us were sitting at the table in the dining room eating breakfast. The girls rushed through theirs, eager to receive what waited for them under the Christmas tree. “Come on, guys!” Mary pleaded. “Hurry up! Presents!” We all laughed and ate a little faster.

When we were all seated in the living room again, I made to put on a red Santa hat but Dean took it and said, “I wanna be Santa this year.” I smiled and he slipped it on before going over to the tree and doling out presents.

Soon I had a little pile of presents in my lap and I began to unwrap them amidst squeals of joy as the girls did the same. I laughed a little at the Lego car Jackie had made for me and glued together (presumably with Zach’s help). Mary had drawn me a picture of our family on a picnic, and had made me a bracelet from black thread and brightly colored plastic beads. I smiled as I slipped it onto my wrist, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. Zach had bought the boxed set of extended edition Lord of the Rings DVDs for me. He had also made a pocket-sized weapons cleaning kit, complete with whetstone. I smiled up at him before turning to the rest of my gifts.

Dean had somehow managed to find cassettes of my favorite Beatles and Kansas albums, and as a joke had included the soundtrack of Titanic on cassette. I shook my head and caught his eye, giving him a glare before throwing the cassette at his head. He dodged it with a smirk and I opened the last present in my lap. This one was from Sam: a newly released book from a fantasy author I’d loved since I was a kid and a pair of long, thick toe-socks. I laughed. For about two years in high school, I’d refused to wear any socks but toe-socks. It had annoyed our dad to no end but I just insisted until he pulled over at a department store one day to buy five pairs of them. By the end of those two years, I’d worn them so often that there was little left but shreds. I’d grown out of the obsession by then but always kept a soft spot for a good pair of them. I looked up at my youngest brother and said, “Thanks Sammy. They’re perfect.” I tore off the tags, slipped the socks on, and then put my feet in the air and wiggled my striped toes.

I knew we would eventually have to go outside and take care of the body in our side yard, and go back to the abandoned house to dispose of those corpses, but at this moment, everything was perfect. Jackie was setting up her race track with Dean, who was still sporting the Santa hat. Mary had curled up in the corner of the couch with her new book from Sam, who sat next to her with a book of crossword puzzles. I moved to sit on my husband’s lap, smiling as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I had never been more happy to see my family together, safe and sound.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A re-write of the episode "Faith" in season one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only changed it a little bit by adding Lana in there but there were some things I needed to put in about family that I didn't feel were rightly addressed in the actual episode, so.

I was sitting in the study when my cell phone started ringing from the living room, where I’d left it on it’s charger. I stood to get it but Mary beat me to it, answering it. “Hello, this is my mom’s phone!” I smiled at her cheekiness as she pulled the phone off the charger and brought it over to me. “Here,” she said as she handed the phone to me. “It’s Uncle Sammy.”

“Thanks baby,” I said before putting the phone to my ear. “What’s up Sammy?”

“It’s Dean,” he said. I froze, the sound of his voice letting me know something was seriously wrong. “We made a mistake on our last hunt and now his heart is damaged and he doesn’t have long.”

“Where are you?”

“In the motel we rented for the job. But I found this faith healer guy in Nebraska. I’m gonna take Dean to him.”

I scoffed lightly. “You know Dean doesn’t go for those things.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll lie. This guy’s our last chance.”

“Have you been able to get a hold of Dad?”

“No.” His voice choked and I silently cursed our father. It was just like it had always been when we were kids: in the moments we needed him most, John Winchester abandoned us. And I was left to be the support that they needed.

“Didn’t really expect otherwise,” I said. “I’ll meet you guys in Nebraska and we’ll see if this faith healer actually knows anything.”

Sam gave me the name of the town and then said, “Thank you, Lana.”

“I’ve always got your back, little brother.” The line clicked dead and I went to my room to pack a few things. I stopped in the living room on the way out to talk to Zach. “Girls, go to your room,” I said. “Just for a bit, okay?” They nodded and ran off. Then I turned to Zach. “Dean’s dying.”

“What?”

“A hunting accident. I’m heading to Nebraska to meet them. Sam’s found a faith healer there. It’s the last shot we’ve got to save him.”

“Oh love,” Zach said, standing and wrapping me in his arms. I dropped my bag and returned the hug, squeezing my eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. Then he kissed my head and pulled away. Bending down to pick up the bag, he handed it back to me and said, “Go. We’ll be here when you get back.” He didn’t say he was sure Dean would be fine. He didn’t lie to me when it came to things like this. But in his eyes I could see the same fear and sadness that I knew must be filling mine, so I nodded and left, taking the Mustang for the drive.

~

As we left the hospital after getting Dean checked out, making sure Roy LeGrange had actually managed to heal him, Dean spoke up. “I can’t shake this feeling.”

“What feeling?” Sam asked.

“When I was healed, I just… I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second… I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I’m telling you guys, it was a spirit.”

“But if there was something there, Dean, I think I would’ve seen it too. I mean, I’ve been seeing an awful lot of things lately.”

“Well excuse me psychic wonder–”

“Okay, that’s enough, you too,” I interrupted. “I’ve gotta go with Dean on this one. Something’s off about that healer, and I don’t like coincidences, like the guy who died when you were healed. So Sam, go look into that guy, and Dean and I’ll go talk to the reverend.” My youngest brother nodded and I tossed him the keys to my Mustang, knowing Dean would want to drive Baby.

~

Dean and I sat in silence on the drive back from the Reverend LeGrange’s home. I knew Dean was thinking about what the faith healer had said to him: “A young man with an important purpose. A job to do. And it isn’t finished.”

“Do you believe him?” Dean asked, breaking the silence suddenly.

“What?” I asked, though I knew what he was asking.

“Do you believe what Roy said about me? A young man with a job to do? I mean, come on. Hunting’s my job.”

“And that’s pretty important. You save a lot of people, Dean.”

“Yeah, but I’ve lived my life, and I made a mistake. But Layla? Layla’s just a girl with a tumor. She doesn’t deserve that. So why should I be healed and not her? My time was up because of something I did so–”

“Shut up Dean.”

“Wha–”

“I said shut up. You don’t get to put yourself down like that, not around me. Layla’s nice, yeah, and no she doesn’t deserve to die from a tumor. But her mother was out of place, and bitter. She cares about her daughter, I care about my brother. You have people in this world, Dean, who love you and who would be devastated if you died. So don’t you ever think you deserve to die, alright? You think you’re gonna die, you fight it with everything you’ve got. You go down swinging, you hear me?”

“I hear you,” he said quietly. I looked over at him and saw tears shining in his eyes. Good. Because my own tears were about to fall too.

~

We decided to go to another meeting that night and figured out Roy had bound a reaper to do his bidding. The night was almost a disaster, to say the least: Dean had to interrupt Layla’s healing while Sam searched for clues about the reaper and I walked around outside, alert for trouble, if it came. When I heard a man screaming for help, I ran, trying to find the source of the voice. Sam and I found him first, the protester who claimed Roy LeGrange wasn’t everything he said he was. Apparently the reaper was after him and though Dean stopped Roy from healing Layla, the reaper didn’t leave. That’s when we discovered that it was really Sue Ann who had bound the reaper and was using him to do “God’s work”. As soon as she stopped praying, the reaper left. Now that we knew who was controlling the reaper, we had to stop her.

I walked up behind Dean just as Layla was walking away from him. She paused, looked back, and said, “I wish you luck. I really do.”

Dean’s voice cracked as he replied, “Same to you.” As she walked away, I heard him mutter, “You deserve it a lot more than me.” My heart broke again but instead of saying anything I walked up behind him and wrapped him in a bear hug, squeezing him tight. “Can’t… breathe…” he gasped. I smiled slightly and pulled away, draping my arm over his shoulders. “What was that for?” he asked as he tried to get his breath back.

“I heard you say she deserved luck more than you,” I said, leading the way back to Sam and the Impala. “Since my words obviously aren’t helping, I’m just going to hug the breath out of you every time you put yourself down until you get it through your thick head that you matter. Now come on, we gotta find a way to stop Sue Ann before she decides another sinner has to die.”

We overheard the reverend talking to Layla and her mother about having a private session that night to heal Layla. Exchanging glances, we got back in the Impala and drove to the motel to prepare.

~

“May God save us from half the people who think they’re doing God’s work,” Dean said as we discussed why Sue Ann would still be using the reaper after binding it to save Roy.

“We gotta break that binding spell Dean,” Sam said.

“You know Sue Ann had a coptic cross like this.” Dean pointed at the picture in the book. “When she dropped it the reaper backed off.”

“We should probably destroy both the cross and the alter,” I said. “To be on the safe side.”

“And we gotta do it soon, or he’s healing Layla tonight.” I nodded and we decided to go as soon as it got dark to find the alter and destroy it and the cross.

~

Dean distracted the rent-a-cops while Sam and I took either side of the house. As I walked around it, I heard a commotion on the other side. Turning the corner, I was just in time to see Sue Ann shut the doors to the basement and say, “Sam, can’t you see? The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked. And your brother is wicked and he deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It is God’s will.”

“Hey!” I shouted, startling her. She looked at me, stood and ran off back to the tent. I ran over to the basement doors, saying, “Sam?”

“Lana?”

“Yeah. Lemme just get these doors open–”

“No, go after Sue Ann! I can get out of here myself.”

“Okay.” I nodded and ran in the direction of the tent. In the distance I could see Sue Ann standing at the entrance to the tent, holding the cross in her hands and muttering in Latin. That’s when I noticed that Dean was to my left, staring at something invisible. I hesitated for only a moment, continuing on my path to Sue Ann. She held up the cross and when I got near her, I grabbed it from her hands and threw it to the ground, shattering it. She gasped. Sam ran up behind me as she knelt down next to the broken cross. “My God,” she said, “What have you done!”

“He’s not your God,” Sam said. He and I watched as she looked up in terror at something. I assumed it was the reaper because she stood and tried to run, but it stopped her. She fell to her knees again, then to the ground and laid there, convulsing. Sam and I turned and left, heading back to the Impala, where Dean met us.

~

Sam and I agreed that it was probably best if Dean had one last chance to talk to Layla before leaving, so he called her, told her where we were staying, and when she arrived, we gave her a moment with Dean alone. As she left, she smiled at each of us with tears in her eyes, which I returned sadly. Then I motioned for Sam to wait a moment so I could go inside and talk to Dean myself. He nodded and I went inside to find my brother staring at the door. “Hey,” I said. He didn’t look at me as he sat down on the bed. I sat down next to him. “You feel any better about what we did here?”

He shook his head. “No, not really. Layla’s still gonna die from that brain tumor, and I’m still gonna live with the fact that some random guy died for me because we went to that healer.”

“If you hadn’t shown up, Marshall Hill would have died for someone else that day, Dean.”

“He probably would have died for Layla.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me that it’s not a possibility.”

“Of course it was a possibility, Dean.”

“Then I should have died and she should have been healed.”

I shook my head and pulled him into a hug. He returned it without hesitation and I knew he was listening. “Dean,” I whispered. “Don’t worry about Layla. There’s a reason you were healed and she wasn’t.”

“What’s the reason?” he mumbled into my shoulder.

“You are one of the few people in this world who makes a real difference by living the life that you do. You know that monsters are real, and you hunt them down and kill them. You save people’s lives every week, Dean. You can’t tell me that’s not worth something. You saved those kids and in the process nearly died. That’s self-sacrifice, and that’s honorable. So don’t ever believe that you somehow don’t deserve to live as much as a girl who has a brain tumor. You have just as much right to be healed and whole as she does, only you were chosen. And maybe Roy was right. Maybe you do have a bigger purpose that hasn’t been fulfilled yet.” My brother scoffed, but I could feel him relax. “Alright,” I said, pulling away. “Now let’s pack up and get the hell outta here.”

“Sounds good,” he replied, smiling at me a little.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John makes a dramatic reappearance in the boys' lives and Lana is not happy about having to interact with him again.

Sam called me one day while I was out on the job, checking on the wildlife in the area. “Dad’s here,” he said. I paused in the act of opening the door to my car.

“What?”

“He showed up when we found one of his friends dead in his cabin. Killed by vampires to get the Colt.”

“Dammit, the have the Colt?”

“Wait, you knew about the Colt?”

“Of course I knew, Sammy. I was the one who discovered its existence while I was reading some old journals.”

“Huh. Well, the vampires took the Colt, and then Dad showed up and we took the Colt from them. It’s the real deal. He shot one of the vamps in the head and he died.”

“He wasted a bullet on a vamp?”

“Yeah, well, he wanted to test it.”

“Okay. So you have the Colt, now.”

“Yeah. We’re heading for Salvation, Iowa. There’s been signs of the demon there in the last few weeks, so we think he’s gonna get a family soon.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Lana, you don’t–”

“Sam, if you guys are closing in on the demon that killed Mom, I’m going to be there.”

“But you and Dad…”

“I’m willing to work with John to kill this demon.” I could almost hear Sam flinch when I called our father “John” and not “Dad”. “No matter what else is between us, I want this demon dead as much as he does. So I’ll put aside our differences while we’re hunting it. But afterwards, it’s back to the way it’s been since I left the country.”

“Fine. Salvation, Iowa. You know where to find us.”

“See you.” I hung up and climbed into the 4Runner to head home.

~

I took the first plane out to Iowa, catching a taxi to the first motel in the phonebook. Apparently my brothers and father hadn’t arrived, so I checked out two rooms with a fake name I knew they’d recognize, then called Sam. He picked up on the second ring. “Lana.”

“Hey, where are you guys?”

“We split up to figure out what babies in the area are turning six months soon.”

“What have you found?”

“Well, I have a three pages of names, but I don’t know what the others–” He cut off, a small groan coming over the phone.

“Sam?” I asked. “Sam, you okay?”

There was silence for a moment until, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Did you just have a vision?”

“Yeah. Hold on.” I heard paper rustling. “I saw the demon in a nursery, then a woman looking out a window, and then the demon again. There was also a train.”

“You think you can find the house?”

“Yeah.”

“You want me to come to you?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll see if I can find the house and then meet you and the other later.”

“Alright. I got us rooms 22 and 23 at the Blackthorn Motel.”

“I’ll see you later.”

I ended the call, then stared at my phone screen for a few moments. Pressing Dean’s name, I called him and told him the room numbers. Then I called my father, John Winchester.

“Hello?” he answered after three rings.

“It’s Lana,” I said, short and clipped.

“Lana?”

“Yeah. I’ve got us rooms at the Blackthorn Motel. 22 and 23.”

“One of the boys called you.”

“I’m gonna be there when we take down this demon.” Then I hung up. I didn’t want to have to talk to that man any longer than needed.

~

John and Dean were each perched on the end of a bed, Sam at the table, while I leaned against the back wall, eyes on my youngest brother. He was rubbing his temples with a grimace as John said, “A vision.”

“Yes,” Sam replied. “I saw the demon burning a woman on the ceiling.”

“And you think this is going to happen to this woman you met because…”

“Because these things happen exactly the way I see them.”

“It started out as nightmares,” Dean said. “Then it started happening while he was awake.” He stood to refill his coffee cup.

“Yeah. It’s like the closer I get to anything to do with the demon the stronger the visions get.”

“Alright.” John paused. “When were you going to tell me about this?”

My head snapped to the right and I stared at him. Dean said, “We didn’t know what it meant.”

“Alright, something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone and you call me.”

“Call you?” I said, incredulous. We’d been avoiding each other’s gaze, but now my father looked at me. “Call you? Dean called you from Lawrence, John. Sam called you when Dean was dying. They have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting you on the phone.”

There was a silent moment as he and I stared each other down, everything we’d ever argued about rising in my mind. He looked away first. “You’re right. I haven’t been the father I should have been. I’m sorry.” I scoffed and turned away again.

“Look, guys,” Sam said, bringing our focus back to the demon. “Visions or no visions, fact is, we know the demon is coming tonight. And this family’s gonna go through the same hell we went through.”

“No they’re not.” John’s voice was determined. “No one is, ever again.”

Sam’s phone buzzed then, and he answered it. “Hello? Who is this?” His face hardened. “Meg.” We all looked at him. “Last time I saw you, you fell out of a window… Just your feelings? That was a seven-story drop.” Sam looked at John. “My dad? I don’t know where my dad is.” He hesitated for a moment before handing the phone to our father.

“This is John.” His face grew harder as well at whatever Meg was saying to him. “I’m here… Caleb?” Caleb was an old hunting friend of our father’s, and I’d done some work with him when I was on my own in my early twenties. If Meg had him… “You listen to me. He’s got nothing to do with anything. You let him go… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His face grew panicked as he said, “Caleb. Caleb! I’m gonna kill you, you know that.” I frowned as I realized Meg must have just killed our friend. “Okay,” he whispered. “I said okay, I’ll bring you the Colt.” I narrowed my eyes. “It’s gonna take me about a day’s drive to get there… That’s impossible. I can’t get there in time and I can’t just carry a gun on the plane.” He pulled the phone away from his ear, thinking. I could almost hear the gears turning as he thought of a plan.

~

Sam and Dean had run to an antiques store to find a close copy of the Colt and I was left behind with the man who’d raised us. John was checking the weapons in his truck and I was loading the Colt, admiring the work on it. I remembered first reading about it in Samuel Colt’s journal at Bobby Singer’s house. Bobby was another hunting friend of Dad’s, but he tended to do more of the research kind of stuff. If you needed info on a monster, you called Bobby Singer. John had often left us three kids at Bobby’s house for days at a time if he was doing a hunt in the area, and once I’d started driving and doing my own hunts, I’d spent a lot of time with the older hunter. I’d even started calling him Dad when I’d begun calling my father by his name. Bobby, bless him, had been the one who hugged me and threatened the boy after my first heartbreak in my teen years, and it had been him, not John, who walked me down the aisle at my wedding.

My thoughts were interrupted when my father walked back into the motel room. I was silent as he packed the last few things of his, hoping he would ignore me as well. But then he said, “Lana, what did I ever do to you–”

“Don’t even start, John Winchester,” I interrupted. “You and I have argued enough for you to know exactly why I don’t consider you my father any more.”

“I did my best with what I had. I thought it was enough.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t. You never did. You think I don’t remember all the nights Mom cried herself to sleep because you had skipped town for no reason? Or how about all the times you came home drunk after work and were a complete mess she had to clean up? Or how you couldn’t keep a decent job for more than a couple of weeks? It was never enough.” I took a breath, looking up at him. “And after she died, dragging us around the US, putting us in constant danger. I was ten, John. Ten. And you left me alone with a sawed off shotgun and twenty bucks and said, ‘Watch your brothers.’ Can you imagine if I hadn’t been there? It would have just been Dean, and he was four. Were you really gonna hand him a gun too and say, ‘Watch after Sammy’? Because that’s not good enough.”

“That’s in the past.”

I stood and took a few steps towards him. “But it’s still affecting us. Whatever happened that night in Sam’s nursery, it’s still affecting today. Those visions are because of whatever the yellow-eyed demon was doing in there, aren’t they? I was scared to commit to a relationship, scared to marry the man I loved because I was afraid history would repeat itself if I started my own family.” I pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You didn’t even show up to my wedding. You’ve never met your granddaughters. When I needed you the most, you weren’t there. You were never there, for any of us. So you can stop lying to yourself and to us about how you ‘did the best you could’ because you didn’t, John Winchester.” I stared at him for a moment, then turned around and went back to the bed and the Colt.

There was silence. Then, “I have granddaughters?”

“My point exactly.” But I softened a bit and added, “Two of them. Mary’s six and Jackie’s two.”

“Mary?”

“She looks exactly like Mom.”

Dean and Sam came in then and it was back to business. “You get it?” John asked the boys.

Dean handed him a brown paper bag and said, “You know this is a trap, don’t you? That’s why Meg wants you to come alone.”

“I can handle her,” our father said as he removed the gun and inspected it. “I got a whole arsenal loaded. Holy water, Mandaic, amulets…”

“Dad…”

“What?”

“Promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“This thing goes south, just… get the hell out. Don’t get yourself killed, all right? You’re no good to us dead.”

“Same goes for you.” He looked at the boys, and I almost missed the glance he sent my way as well.

~

We waited for hours in the Impala outside the house of Monica, Holden, and Rosie, where the demon would strike next. When static came over the radio and the lights in the house started flickering, we got out and headed to the house. I followed Sam up to the nursery and saw him shoot the demon, who disappeared. “Where the hell did it go?” he shouted.

“Sam, get Monica out of here!” I shouted, heading for the crib. “I’ll get Rosie!” He nodded and half-dragged, half-carried her out of the nursery. I reached in and wrapped the baby in a blanket, picking her up and carrying her out of the room just as her crib burst into flames. Once we were out on the lawn, I handed Rosie to her mother, who was wrapped into a hug by her husband. My brothers and I turned to look at the house and saw the demon silhouetted in the window of the nursery.

“It’s still in there!” Sam said, starting to run back in. Dean and I grabbed him by his arms to stop him.

“Sam!” Dean said. “Sam, no!”

“Let me go, it’s still in there!”

“No,” I said. “It’s burning to the ground, it’s suicide.”

“I don’t care.”

“We do!” Dean and I shouted at the same time.

He stopped trying to get away and we watched sadly as the house burned.

Later, we sat in the motel room, Dean calling John’s phone over and over to get in touch with him. “Come on Dad,” he said. “Answer your phone, dammit.” He hung up angrily. “Something’s wrong.”

“Yeah.” I looked over at Sam, who was staring at the wall. “Hey, you okay, Sam?”

“If you had just let me go in there,” he said. “I coulda ended all this.”

“Sam,” Dean said. “The only thing you would have ended was your life.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Listen to me,” I said. “Yes, we’ve been looking for this demon our entire lives, but it’s not worth you dying over it. Yes, it killed Mom, and yes, it killed Jess, but it won’t kill another one of us. I won’t let it.” Sam looked away from me. “Nothing we do will bring the ones we’ve lost back. And if one of us dies, if you die, I couldn’t bear it. So what we’re gonna do, is we’re gonna try to get ahold of John, and then we’ll find the demon again and kill it.”

“Dad,” he said, tears in his eyes. “He should have called by now. Try him again.”

Dean raised his phone to his ear again. This time someone answered and he put the phone on speaker. A woman’s voice came through saying, “You boys really screwed up this time.”

“Where is he?” Dean asked, angry.

I clenched my fists when she answered. “You’re never going to see your father again.”


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John is taken by Meg and the Winchester children set a trap for the demon to find their father.

As soon as Dean got off the phone with Meg, I knew what we had to do. “Pack up your stuff,” I said. “We’re going.”

“Going where?” Dean asked.

“Why?” Sam added at the same moment.

“We’re going to Bobby Singer’s place, that’s where,” I answered. “And because the demon knows we’re here and that we have the Colt, so we need to be prepared for it when it gets to us.”

“Let it come here,” Sam said.

“We’re not even remotely ready for it, Sam. We don’t know how many demons it’ll bring with it, or what it can do to us. So right now, we’re gonna go to the guy who knows everything there is to know about demons, because if he doesn’t know it himself, he’s got a book that does. Now pack your stuff and stop trying to get yourself killed for no reason.”

“Bobby?” Dean asked, throwing clothes into his duffel. “Is that a good idea? I mean, last time he and Dad were together–”

“Bobby threatened to shoot him with buckshot. I remember. But if anyone’s gonna be able to help us, it’s him.” I smiled then. “Plus, he’s always had a weak spot for us Winchester kids.”

“Bobby it is, then.”

~

I knocked on the front door of Bobby’s and waited, looking around and remembering all the other times I’d ended up on his front porch. There were some new cars in his yard and he’d even gotten a dog since the last time I’d been there. The door swung open and I turned to him with a smile. “Bobby.”

“Lana.” He stepped forward and pulled me in for a hug. “And you brought your brothers. What’s the occasion?” he asked as he let go, motioning us inside.

“John’s been grabbed by the demon.” I followed him inside to his living room, which doubled as his study. Breathing in, I felt comforted. Bobby’s was as good as home to me.

“The demon?” He motioned for us to take seats wherever. “The yellow-eyed demon your dad’s been hunting since Sam was a baby?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.” And my brothers and I settled down and told him what had happened the past few days, finishing each others’ sentences like true siblings. “So now,” I concluded. “We’ve got the demon and his helpers on our tails and we don’t know where to even begin to look for John. Can you help us?”

“You say one of the demon’s minions is coming after you?”

I nodded. “I’ve got a hunch Meg will come after us herself.”

“Alright, then.” He stood and started moving around the room. “I know what we’re gonna do, then. Give me a hand with this, would ya?” We moved chairs to stand on them and paint a large devil’s trap on the ceiling, where Meg would be less likely to notice it when she came in, which was part of the plan Bobby came up with. We’d lure her into the house and beneath the trap, then tie her down and make her tell us where John was. Hopefully it would work.

Sam was reading a book about the Key of Solomon and demon-warding sigils and Dean had run down to the basement for rope when Bobby pulled me aside to talk. “How are things between you and your dad?” he asked.

“John and I aren’t necessarily on speaking terms, if that’s what you’re asking.” He gave me a look. “You know how I feel about that man and what he did to us. The man who raised me was a hopeless drunk half of the time and a crazed fanatic the other half.”

“Then why are you even here, helping out?”

“You really need to ask me that? I’m here for the boys. Sammy’s in a really bad place, and Dean’s about as bad. They still see him as ‘dad’, for whatever reason, and they care about what happens to him. So I’ll find him, and save his life if I can, but I’m doing it for my brothers, not for him. And if, in the process, I kill the demon that took our mom from us, then so much the better. If there’s any similarities between John Winchester and myself, it’s that we both want that son of a bitch dead.”

Bobby shook his head. “And I thought your brothers had daddy issues.”

I half-smiled. “I don’t have daddy issues. I’ve got a great dad, right here.” I punched his shoulder lightly.

“Just promise me that after this is all over, you’ll give him another chance. Maybe he’ll change once this demon’s dead.”

I rolled my eyes but nodded. “Fine.”

“And bring that husband of yours and those adorable girls up here to see me. I get real lonely all by myself sometimes.” He gave me a mock sad face.

“Anything for you, Dad,” I said with a smile.

“Bobby, this book,” Sam said from the desk. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Key of Solomon?” the older hunter asked, walking over and perching on a corner of the desk. “It’s the real deal, alright.”

“And these, uh, these protective circles. They really work?”

“Hell, yeah. You get a demon in - they’re trapped. Powerless. It’s like a Satanic roach motel.” Sam chuckled.

“I put them up at my own house,” I said. “One in front of each point of entry. That way, a demon tries to get it, it’s stuck and I can get rid of it.”

“Smart idea,” my little brother said with a nod.

“‘Course it is. I thought of it. Everybody knows I’m the smart one, Sammy.” I grinned widely at him, and he rolled his eyes at me.

Dean came up the stairs as Bobby said, “This is some serious crap you Winchesters stepped in.”

“Oh yeah?” Sam asked. “How’s that?”

“Normal year, I hear of, say, three demonic possessions. Maybe four, tops.”

“Yeah?” Dean said.

“This year I’ve heard of twenty-seven so far. You get what I’m saying? More and more demons are walking among us - a lot more.”

“Do you know why?” my youngest brother asked.

“No, but I know it’s something big. The storm’s coming, and you three, your daddy - you are smack in the middle of it.” The dog on the porch started barking then, and Bobby turned to look at the front door. “Rumsfeld.”

“Demon’s here,” I said.

At that moment, the door was kicked in and a short, blonde woman I assumed to be Meg walked in. “No more crap, okay?” she said. Dean went towards her with the flask of holy water but she threw him into a bookcase, knocking him out. Sam stood and got in front of Bobby and I. “I want the Colt, Sam – the real Colt – right now.”

The three of us back up, luring Meg into the study, hoping to get her into the demon’s trap. “We don’t have it on us,” Sam lied. “We buried it.”

“Didn’t I say ‘no more crap’? I swear – after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I got to tell you, I’m a little underwhelmed.” Meg walked towards us slowly. “First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you two chuckleheads. Lackluster, man. I mean, did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” She finally stepped far enough into the circle to trap her.

Dean stood up behind her. “Actually,” he said. “We were counting on it.” He looked up at the ceiling, and she followed his gaze as he smirked at her. “Gotcha.”

~

“Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae,” Sam said, finishing the exorcism on Meg. “Benedictus deus, gloria patri…”

The girl screamed, the demon leaving her body in a cloud of black smoke. Then her head fell forward, blood dripping from her mouth. I was the first to move forward when I heard her groan. “She’s still alive,” I said, moving to undo the rope around her wrists.

“Call 911,” Dean said to Bobby as he headed for the kitchen. “I’ll get some water and blankets.”

As Sam and I untied her, she whispered, “Thank you.”

“Shh, shh,” my little brother said. “Just take it easy, alright?”

“We should make her comfortable,” I said, and together we lifted her from the chair and laid her on the floor. She screamed in pain as her bones crunched audibly.

“Sorry, sorry. I got you. I got you.” Sam’s little reassurances were as much for her as they were for us. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“A year,” she wheezed.

“What?”

“It’s been a year.”

“Shh, just take it easy.”

“I’ve been awake for some of it. I couldn’t move my own body. The things I did – it’s a nightmare.”

I hated to do it, but I knew we needed the truth about our father’s location. “Was it telling us the truth about John?”

“Lana,” Sam said accusingly.

“We need to know.”

“Yes,” Meg answered quietly. “But it wants… you to know… that… they want you to come for him.”

Dean appeared with a blanket and a glass of water then, handing me the water as he and Sam laid the blanket gently over her as he said, “If Dad’s still alive, none of that matters.”

I held her head up carefully with one hand as I helped her take a sip of the water. Bobby walked in, hanging up the phone. “Where is the demon we’re looking for?” Sam asked.

“Not there,” she whispered, her voice growing faint. She would be gone soon. “Other ones. Awful ones.”

“Where are they keeping John?” I asked.

“By the river. Sunrise.”

“Sunrise,” Dean repeated. “What does that mean?” But she was dead. I respectfully laid her head back on the floor and pulled the blanket over her face.

~

While Dean distracted the fireman outside Sunrise Apartments and Sam picked the lock to get the firemen’s gear, I ran back to the Impala and grabbed the Colt. Yeah, there were only three bullets left, but if it came down to it, I would use a bullet to save my brothers’ lives. I tucked the gun into the waistband of my jeans and hurried back to the firetruck, where I joined my brothers in donning the yellow pants and coat to pass as firefighters.

We found the room where John was being held fairly quickly, knocking in the door and trapping the demons in a closet with salt. Sam insisted we test John with holy water before untying him, to which I agreed wholeheartedly. Our father woke as the water hit him, and since he didn’t scream in pain or anything because of it, we cut his bonds and prepared to carry him from the room.

There was something off about John that I tried to pinpoint, until the front door of the apartment was kicked open yet again, this time by two demons. We hurried back into the bedroom and I shut and salted the door while Dean and Sam got our father out the window onto the fire escape. I followed, spreading salt along the windowsill as well.

My brothers got ahead of me in an alleyway, both of them supporting John as they headed for the Impala. Suddenly, a man barrelled into me from the side, pinning me to the street and punching me in the side of the face. I distantly heard Sam shout, “Lana!” as the man – who I realized was a demon – continued to punch me. Then he paused, sitting up to throw Sam, who’d come up and kicked him, into a car’s windshield.

The demon stood and headed for my little brother, giving me the opportunity I needed to pull the Colt from my waistband and shoot the demon in the head. Then Sam was helping me to my feet, and I tucked the gun away again, shooing him forward to help Dean get our father to the Impala.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation with the yellow-eyed demon. Verrrrry canon-divergent here, just fyi. Lana makes a decision that changes the outcome of the end of the first season.

I leaned forward over a sink in an abandoned cabin, examining the effects of the demon’s fists on my face. My lip was busted and swollen, and there were cuts over my cheekbones and eyebrows. Dark purple bruises were already blooming along my jaw and I winced as I dabbed the cuts with an antiseptic wipe from our first-aid kit. Sam was pouring salt along the doorways and windowsills, and Dean emerged from the other room where he’d put John down to sleep off whatever they’d drugged him with. “How is he?” Sam asked, looking up.

“He just needed a little rest, that’s all,” Dean answered as he joined me at the sink, tucking the Colt into his waistband. He squinted at my face and asked, “How are you?”

“I’ve had worse,” I said, giving him a numb half-smile. “Just hoping we weren’t followed here.”

“I don’t think we were. I mean, we couldn’t have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up.”

“Yeah.” I leaned even closer to the mirror above the sink, poking a particularly nasty gash on my cheekbone and wondering if it would need stitches. My attention was drawn to my youngest brother: I could see him fidgeting in the mirror, getting ready to say something. “Spit it out, Sammy,” I said with humor in my voice.

He smiled and relaxed. “Lana, you, um… you saved my life back there.”

“You’re welcome for going against what you wanted and grabbing the Colt anyway.”

“You don’t make thanking you very easy.”

“I know.” I sighed, realizing the cut would need stitches, and as I took out the needle and thread, I thought of the man the demon had been possessing when I’d shot it. Had he had a family, a wife who would miss him, children who’d cry when he didn’t come home?

Dean interrupted my thoughts. “Hey, Lana?”

“Hm?”

“You know that guy you shot? There was a person in there.”

Apparently my little brother had been thinking along the same lines as me. I set down the needle and turned to him, saying, “I didn’t have a choice, Dean. He was probably going to kill Sam, and then us. You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you two.”

“Yeah, I know, that’s what bothers me.” I frowned. “You didn’t even hesitate, you didn’t even flinch. The things you’re willing to do for Sammy and me, it’s just, uh… it scares me sometimes.” I clenched my jaw, unsure what to say. I’d already killed a random stranger for them, not counting what I’d done in my childhood for my brothers.

That’s when John’s voice entered the conversation. “It shouldn’t,” he said, standing in the doorway. “She did good.”

“You’re not mad?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“For what?”

“Using a bullet.”

“Mad? I’m proud of you. You watch out for this family – you always have.”

“Thanks,” I said, but I narrowed my eyes, uncertain. My mind started working in overtime, knowing something was off about John Winchester but not quite pinning it down yet.

Then the lights started flickering and he said, “It found us. It’s here.”

“The demon?” Sam asked.

“Sam, lines of salt in front of every window, every door.”

“I already did it.”

“Well, check it, okay?”

“Okay.” Sam left the room and that’s when I knew. He was trying to separate us.

“You’re not John,” I said, straightening.

“What?” he asked, looking at me.

“You’re not our father.”

“You must’ve gotten knocked on the head too hard.” He looked at Dean. “Give me the Colt, Dean. Hurry.”

“Don’t listen to him, Dean,” I pleaded. “Our father wouldn’t be proud of me for using the gun. He’d rip me a new one for wasting a bullet, if he even talked to me at all.”

My brother nodded. “You’re right,” he said, raising the Colt and aiming it at John’s head. “You’re not my dad.”

“Dean, it’s me,” the demon inside our father said.

“I know my dad better than anyone, and you ain’t him.”

“What the hell’s gotten into you two?”

“We could ask you the same thing,” I answered.

Sam re-entered the room then and saw Dean holding the gun on John. “Dean?” he asked. “What the hell’s going on?”

“Your brother and sister have lost their minds,” John said.

“He’s not Dad,” Dean answered.

“What?”

“I think he’s possessed,” I said. “I think he’s been possessed since we rescued him.”

“Don’t listen to them, Sammy.” Sam looked between our father and us, and then walked over to stand by us. “Fine. You’re all so sure, go ahead. Kill me.” He lowered his head, waiting for Dean to pull the trigger. I silently willed my brother to pull the trigger, but I could see it in his face that he couldn’t find it in himself to shoot the man who’d raised him. “I thought so,” John said, looking back up, only now, his eyes were yellow. Sam lunged for him, but he was thrown against a wall and held there, as were Dean and I, causing him to drop the Colt. John picked it up. “What a pain in the ass this thing’s been.”

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Sam asked. “We’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

“Well, you found me.”

“But the holy water?”

“You think something like that works on something like me?”

Sam struggled against the force holding him to the wall as he shouted, “I’m gonna kill you!”

“Oh, that’d be a neat trick. In fact,” the demon placed the gun on the table. “Here. Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy.” My brother looked at the gun, straining, but nothing happened. “Well, this is fun.” The demon walked over to Dean. “I could’ve killed you a hundred times today, but this…” he sighed. “This is worth the wait. You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter.”

“Who?” Dean asked. “Meg?”

The demon turned to me and said, “The one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What? You’re the only one who can have a family?”

“I wanna know why.” Sam interrupted. “Why’d you do it?”

The demon turned to him. “You mean why did I kill Mommy and pretty little Jess?”

“Yeah.”

“Because they got in the way.”

“In the way of what?”

“My plans for you, Sammy. You… and all the children like you.” He smiled at Dean. “You know, Sam was going to ask her to marry him. Been shopping for rings and everything.”

“Just get it over with,” I said. “If you’re gonna kill us, just do it already.”

“Yeah,” Dean added. “I really can’t stand the monologuing.”

“Funny,” John said, coming closer. “But that’s all part of your M.O., isn’t it? Masks all that nasty pain, masks the truth.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is they don’t need you.” The demon smiled cruelly. “Not like you need them. Sam – he’s clearly John’s favorite. Even when they fight, it’s more concern than he’s ever shown you. And Lana, she’s got a husband and kids. She can’t always be keeping up with a needy younger brother all the time now, can she?”

“I bet you’re real proud of your kids too, huh? Oh wait, I forgot. We wasted ‘em.”

The demon stepped back, head bowed, and when he looked back up, Dean screamed in pain. “Dean! No!” Sam shouted.

I watched in horror as my brother started bleeding heavily from his chest, saying, “Dad! Dad, don’t you let it kill me!” Tears slipped from his face as the demon smiled at him, and Dean screamed in pain again. Blood poured from his mouth.

“Dean!” Sam kept shouting. “No!”

“John Winchester!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. “You fight that monster, you hear me? If you care about your children at all, you fight that demon and save your son!”

“Dad, please,” Dean whispered before passing out.

“Dean!” Sam shouted again.

“Stop,” John whispered, and suddenly the force holding me to the wall was gone. I dove for the Colt as he continued, “Stop it.” I cocked and aimed for our father, who looked at me with a flash of yellow eyes and said, “You kill me, you kill Daddy.”

“I know,” I said, and pulled the trigger. This time he didn’t have time to smoke away, and the bullet hit him in the heart. Orange light flashed through his body, and then he was dead on the floor, my father and the yellow-eyed demon dead in one moment. My brothers were released from their spots on the wall, and the fall jolted Dean awake.

“Dad,” he groaned, and I turned to him to find him reaching out to John’s body, trying to crawl over to him.

“Dean,” I said, tucking the gun away and crouching beside him. “Hey, little D, take it easy. Come on. We need to get you to a hospital.” I lifted one of his arms and put it over my shoulder, saying, “Give me hand here, Sam.” I looked up at him to find him just staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face. “Sammy. Help me get Dean to the car.” He nodded and took Dean’s other side.

Together we left the cabin and got Dean into the back seat. I took the driver’s seat and headed for the nearest hospital. Heavy silence filled the car, and then Sam spoke. “How could you do that, Lana?”

“Do what?” I asked, stalling.

“You know exactly what.” I let the silence sit before he said, “How could you kill Dad?”

“Sammy, you know John and I haven’t been on good terms for years now–”

“But he was your father!”

“Was. Many, many years ago, before Mom died. I haven’t thought of him as my father for almost two decades.”

“Still–”

His next argument was cut off when an eighteen-wheeler rammed into us from the passenger side. The Impala was pushed sideways for yards by the semi. I was barely conscious when a demon-possessed man got out of the semi and walked over to the driver’s door, ripping it off it’s hinges. I pulled the Colt from my waistband and pointed it at him. “Back,” I managed. “Or I’ll kill you, I swear to God.”

“You won’t,” he said. “You’re saving that bullet for someone else.”

I cocked the gun. “Guess again.”

The demon smoked out, and I relaxed against the seat, turning to get a glimpse of Sam and Dean. They were both unconscious and covered in blood. “Sammy?” I said, feeling blackness pulling at me. “Dean?” I faintly registered the man who’d been possessed ask if he’d done this as I screamed, “Sam! Dean!”

~

I crouched at a crossroads, yarrow adorning the corners, burying a box holding a picture of myself and the necessary items to summon a crossroads demon. As I stood, dusting off my hands, a voice behind me said, “Well, well, well.”

Turning quickly, I saw a woman with dark hair standing a few feet away from me. “Do you have a name?” I asked.

“Alexis,” she answered, her voice smooth. “Now, what’s yours, honey?”

“Lana.”

“And what can I do for you, Lana?”

“You can save my brother.”

“That’ll cost you.”

“I know, I know. My soul, right?” I smiled grimly. “Guess again, sweetheart.” I pointed to the ground and the demon looked down. She had appeared right in the middle of a large devil’s trap. “I did some preparation for this little rendezvous, Alexis. So this is what’s going to happen. You’ll save my brother, who’s dying in a hospital, and I’ll let you go with your life. I promise that. But, if you refuse, I’ll be a little more… persuasive… and if you still refuse, then I’ll kill you and move on to the next demon. Someone’s going to be willing to give me what I want.”

The demon narrowed her eyes at me, considering. Then she smiled coldly and said, “I see I have no choice here. Very well, then. Your brother is who?”

“Dean Winchester.” The way her face changed, I knew she knew who I was now. “Lancaster County Hospital.”

“Done.” She held her hands out. “Now let me go.”

“In a moment.” I called Sam on his cell.

“Dean’s awake,” he said without preamble. “And fully healed. What did you do?”

“I’ll explain later,” I said, hanging up. “Alright. But first,” and I pulled out the Colt. “You know what this is?”

“Yes.”

“And now you know who I am.”

“Yes.”

“So let me make this clear. I’m letting you go.” I put the Colt away again. “I want you to tell every demon you see what I’m about to say. If anything happens to my brother, if he drops dead without reason, I’ll kill you. If you try to get revenge on me and take my soul, I’ll kill you. And then I’m going to kill every other demon I can find. I’m only letting you live now because that was our deal. I promised I wouldn’t kill you. So I want you to go out there and tell everyone, Lana Winchester Greenwood keeps her promises. And I promise you, I will kill anyone who tries to hurt my family again. Got it?” Alexis nodded, and I scraped away a few pieces of gravel, breaking the devil’s trap. She disappeared in the blink of an eye and I headed back to the hospital.

~

We burned the body of John Winchester on a hunter’s pyre in the middle of the woods. Sam was struggling not to cry, and Dean was stock-still as we watched the flames lick up the wood and the white cloth we’d wrapped our father in. Hours later, as the fire burned out and we turned to leave, Dean stopped me with his quiet words. “I don’t think you should call us again,” he said, looking at me. My heart broke at the pain and anger I saw in his eyes. “Ever.” Then he was gone.

“You never said why you did it, Lana,” Sam said. The same look of pain was in his eyes, though his anger was less sharp.

“I did it for you, of course,” I said. “I did it to save your lives, and to finally get justice for Mom.” Sam shook his head. “It was what he wanted, Sammy. You know John wanted that demon dead at all costs. I bet he’s happy now, in heaven. He’s with Mom again, and he’s at peace.”

My younger brother scoffed. “Sure.” He almost walked away before saying, “You made a deal with a demon to save Dean, didn’t you?”

“No, I–”

He cut me off with a shake of his head. “I don’t wanna hear it. You say you’re doing it for us, but killing Dad? Selling your soul? Those things aren’t going to make us feel better in the long run. I’m sorry, but I agree with Dean. You should keep your distance from us.”

And then he was gone too, the quiet whine of a stolen car the last sign of my brothers. Tears slipped down my face, and for a while I stood in the silence of the woods, watching the embers of my father go out as the sun rose over the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand that's all folks! Or at least all that I have for the time being. Maybe if people really like this and I feel inspired again, I'll pick it back up. (Because I did have plans for later seasons with Lana and the family.) I hope you all have enjoyed it. (Don't hate me for killing John.)

**Author's Note:**

> Oh yeah I'm on FF.net as Delia Brethilwen and on Tumblr as @supernaturallywritingfiction


End file.
